Hopefully, this report card won’t require me to apologize to anyone, unlike that golf analyst who had to ask Tiger Woods for forgiveness.

Of course, I don’t accuse anyone of cheating. (Imagine that, by the way, thinking Woods would be fast and loose with rules.)

I do believe Mike McCoy and his staff are guilty of some sleight of hand to even have the Chargers at 4-3.

And for that I bestow on them the first grade herein.

A resounding, solid, absolute “A.”

McCoy is still learning, most evidenced by his gaffes deciding on his gameday roster.

But the man believes with an enviable confidence in what he's doing. And as much as we’ve had fun with his mantra about the players having “bought in,” it is clear that they have.

Ken Whisenhunt probably won’t be an offensive coordinator for long, and quarterback coach Frank Reich will probably be one before long. Defensive coordinator John Pagano is doing what the best coordinators do – getting results out of a unit light on talent. Linebackers coach Joe Barry is a teacher and a motivator, and he deserves another shot at being a coordinator.

As for the players, who on Wednesday left on a four-day bye-week break, here are their marks through seven games.

Quarterback: A. I’ve never seen him this comfortable. That cannot be separated from the fact he is second in the NFL in passer rating and touchdowns and tops in completion percentage. Plus, with every passing game, this young team loves him more.

Running back: A. Danny Woodhead was the best free agent acquisition by the Chargers and maybe by anyone. Ryan Mathews is being graded on the curve. He entered the season with five 100-yard games and has now run for 102 and 110 in successive weeks. He also had never before made it to the eighth game of a season without being injured.

Wide receiver: A. What this group has done – and what the coaches and Rivers have done with it – is just as impressive as the resilience on the offensive line. Danario Alexander was lost in the preseason and Malcom Floyd in Week Two – and the Chargers might be better for it. Honestly, Keenan Allen and Vincent Brown are here to stay. Eddie Royal has more touchdowns (six) than he had in the previous four seasons combined.

Tight end: A-. Antonio Gates, at 33, is playing like he’s 30 again. He’s playing a lot, too. John Phillips is enough of a blocker, and Ladarius Green will eventually get a chance to show how much of a weapon he can be.

Offensive line: B+. You thought it couldn’t get worse than what they’d been through the past two seasons. And then … The Chargers have used 11 different players on the line over the past five games. It would be difficult to ask for more from this hearty collection. But the line is greatly helped by Rivers getting rid of the ball quicker, on average, than all but two QBs in the league this season. Still, they're doing their job there, and run blocking is much improved.